Palace of Charles V, Granada

About the Palace of Charles V

The Palace of Charles V stands at the heart of the Alhambra, next to the Nasrid Palaces. Emperor Charles V commissioned it as a new residence, and building began in 1527 to a design by Pedro Machuca, who had trained under Michelangelo in Rome. It was conceived in pure Italian High Renaissance style, a bold contrast with the lacy Moorish carving next door.

Work was slow, stalled for long periods and was abandoned in 1637, leaving the building roofless. Completion only began in the 20th century, and the roof was finished in 1967. The emperor never lived here, and today the palace houses two museums.

The circular courtyard

From outside the palace is a stern square, 63 metres a side and 17 metres high, with a heavily rusticated ground floor and Ionic pilasters above. The surprise is inside: the square encloses a circular courtyard with two tiers of columns, Doric below and Ionic above, a design with no precedent in Renaissance architecture.

The open-air courtyard has remarkable acoustics: stand in the centre and speak, and your voice echoes back. In summer it hosts concerts of Granada's international music and dance festival. Look too at the main portals of dark Sierra Elvira stone, decorated with reliefs.

What to see in the palace

• The circular courtyard — two tiers of columns under the sky.
• The Alhambra Museum — carving, tiles and Nasrid vases.
• The Fine Arts Museum — Granada's painting and sculpture.
• The main portals — reliefs in dark stone.
• The echo — stand in the middle and speak.
• The façades — rusticated ground floor and pilasters.

The palace museums

On the ground floor is the Alhambra Museum, with finds from the palaces themselves: fragments of carved plaster, wooden ceilings, tiles, bronze lamps and the famous winged vases glazed in gold. It helps you imagine how the Alhambra's halls looked when they were lived in.

Upstairs is the Fine Arts Museum of Granada, with painting and sculpture by Granada artists from the 15th to the 20th century, Renaissance and Baroque religious works and 19th-century views of the Alhambra. The rooms are small and quiet, far less busy than the Nasrid Palaces.

Tips for your visit

Don't skip the palace even if you came for the Moorish halls: the contrast of two eras on one hill is one of the Alhambra's defining features. Photograph the courtyard from the upper gallery to capture its perfect circle.

In summer the courtyard gets very hot, as the stone heats up and there's little shade, so duck into the cool museums. If you're with children, get them to test the echo in the centre; it's always a hit.

The palace fits easily into an Alhambra visit: 30 minutes for the courtyard and portals, another half-hour for one of the museums.

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How to do it right

• Visit while waiting for the Nasrid Palaces.
• Try the echo in the centre.
• Museums close on Mondays.
• Photograph from the upper gallery.

Questions